This invention relates to an improvement in the flute and more particularly in the modern Boehm closed G.music-sharp. flute.
It is a principal object of the invention to provide in a closed G.music-sharp. flute a means of improving the third octave notes, especially the high E. More particularly it is an object to provide in a modern closed G.music-sharp. flute a novel and improved construction and arrangement of parts by means of which the normally difficult high E and other notes in the third octave can be played more easily and with more control.
On the original Boehm flute with its open G.music-sharp. arrangement, high E is not a problem. However, it calls for a different fingering for both the G and G.music-sharp. and for this reason is rarely played today.
The standard*, commonly played, closed G.music-sharp. flute requires an extra hole with its key connected to the G key. This "duplicate G.music-sharp. mechanism" which is believed to have originated in the mid 1850's requires an extra hole which is placed opposite the G.music-sharp. hole so that when the G key is closed, G.music-sharp. can be played by pressing the G.music-sharp. lever which opens the G.music-sharp. key. The duplicate G.music-sharp. hole is necessary also in order to vent the tone A. The two holes at the same longitudinal location on the tube create a widening of the bore at that point and a consequent unnatural turbulence in the vibrating air column; hence the problem with high E familiar to all flutists. FNT *By 1920, William S. Haynes estimated ninety-five percent of all players used the closed G.music-sharp. flute, The Development of the Modern Flute, Nancy Toff at Page 173, Tapliner Publishing Co., Inc., Copyright 1979.
Heretofore the problem has been dealt with in four ways:
1. Over a hundred years ago the "Dorus" mechanism attempted to make the open G.music-sharp. flute operate like a closed G.music-sharp. flute. It never became standard because of an inherently spongy feel to the G key which, through a spring shared with the G.music-sharp. key, closed the G.music-sharp. key and also allowed the G.music-sharp. key to be opened by a separately mounted G.music-sharp. lever.
2. The split G mechanism, in rare use, improves the high E but requires an awkward stretch of the little finger to close the G.music-sharp. vent key, a gesture practical only on long notes. There is also a problem with adjustment, since the independently sprung G and G.music-sharp. vent keys must close together.
3. The split E mechanism, more common, but still not in common use, improves the high E but has two disadvantages:
(1) It has the same adjustment problems of the split G, and PA1 (2) Flute builders are reluctant to build it. PA1 1. No split mechanism to go out of adjustment. PA1 2. Improved stability of the third octave generally. PA1 3. Improved high E. PA1 4. Full venting for low and middle A. PA1 5. Easier slurring between high E and other notes. PA1 6. Simple, inexpensive, and rigid construction. PA1 7. Convertibility of standard flutes to this construction. PA1 8. Better sealing of pads by virtue of a single small hole or smaller twin holes. PA1 9. Stronger tube due to elimination of large duplicate G.music-sharp. hole. The single hole or two small holes preserve more of the tube.
4. Recently there have been attempts to eliminate the duplicate G.music-sharp. hole and to enlarge the G hole to vent the tone A. This had been tried by Boehm, the inventor of the modern flute, on the famous Macauley flute (now in the Dayton Miller collection in Washington, examined and played by me in April of 1982). This flute, as well as recent flutes eliminating the duplicate G.music-sharp. made by builders Jack Moore (at my request) and Tip Lamberson a year later (both exhibited at conventions of the National Flute Association), prove out the reason why Boehm never made a second flute with that specification: The low A is dull in quality and somewhat flat in pitch for lack of sufficient venting.
5. Some manufacturers (notably Sankyo Prima) make the duplicate G.music-sharp. hole smaller. But this smaller hole, while helping the high E, dulls the quality of the low A because of insufficient venting. The problem with a single vent hole in the normal duplicate G.music-sharp. position is that when it is large enough to vent the A, it has an adverse affect on high E.